Jean-Paul Abalo

Jean-Paul Yaovi Dosseh Abalo (born 26 June 1975) is a Togolese former footballer who played as a defender. He is the current coach of the Togo national under-20 football team.

Club career Abalo played for six seasons in the French Ligue 2 with Amiens SC. He acquired French nationality by naturalization on 29 January 1998 and legally changed his name from Yaovi to Jean-Paul.

In 2006, he moved to APOEL in Cyprus, where he won the 2005–06 Cypriot Cup. Whilst at Amiens, Abalo played in the 2001 Coupe de France Final. His penalty miss proved decisive as Amiens lost to Strasbourg.

International career Abalo was the captain of the Togo national football team. He was called up to the 2006 World Cup, and represented his country at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. His contribution to the team's World Cup campaign was overshadowed by the red card he received in the opening match against South Korea, as his side suffered a 1–2 defeat.

Coaching career

In January 2018, Abalo was announced as the Togo national under-20 football team coach for the 2018 Toulon Tournament.

Honours APOEL Cypriot Cup: 2005–06